The Lefay in Gargnano sits on a steep slope above Lake Garda: at night, one can recognise the building by counting the lights that guide its outline
Lefay: the building inspired by northern Italian signature Orangerie
The structure is elongated and subtle in its breadth – by day, the design is subtle, blended with the olive trees’ terraces and rocks from the Alps. The outline is the evolution of the underneath structure situated on the shore which is the Orangerie: a structure with a wood facade facing south and a stone rear. The southern exposure ensures that the lemon trees will be protected during less mild seasons while collecting heat during summer.
The identity of the place is narrated through its colors: they all come from a single chromatic scale ranging from the turquoise color of the water lake to the dark green of the slopes, stopping at the pale green of olives, the yellow of lemons, the creamy color of the fog and the clouds that move through the sky. Inside the building, the color scheme is resumed with pink and orange hues of bedrooms and the bathroom’s red travertine.
The facility was built in 2008 in a wooded area
Walking past the residence, one reaches the top of a hill on a plateau. Here is the entry to the woods, where a trail is laid out with a few steps and wood slats to protect the steepest points. Throughout the path, ivy and ferns are part of the local flora, and in flashes, white anemones can be seen. In spite of few differences, the wind on Lake Pelér creates a microclimate similar to that of the Mediterranean even below the Alps.
During the summer, everything is surrounded by a dryness of summer warmth, while a silver breeze lingers on the lake like a never-ending spring. The coolness never abandoned its domination among the cedars and bergamots, far away from the fire of Calabria from which it retains only glints of light. In January, the prostrate rosemary is in bloom as the juniper, the Marruca, and the oak.
Lefay Garda: the new 130-meter square rooms and the Gramen restaurant
As of January 2023, we can admire the place’s evolution: a bow-windowed Finnish sauna made of glass extends among the rose garden, near an indoor adult-only pool – both of which are built on a lower floor that has recently opened to the public. On the upper floor, there are new bedrooms measuring more than a hundred thirty square meters.
In the last addition, the new gourmet restaurant Gramen – named for the herbs in the area – offers a meatless and dairy-free menu that changes with every dish selection. Rather than the solely vegan menu, there are also vegetable platters and fish recipes on the menu. The vegan gourmet experience makes the consistent flow of dishes more appreciable, paired with garden herbal fermentation controlled by the sommelier in the kitchen and Italian white wine.
Among the wines produced along the river of Lake Garda, Lume, a sweet wine served at the end of a meal from Podere Selva Capuzza, is worth mentioning. This wine is produced exclusively from harvests that have been dried in the cellar attic for the required period of time. Appreciable is the cocoa and nut butter in place of cow’s butter.
A salted pool: a ten percent salt concentration water
The cave where the pool is nestled is lit with a blue light and limestone slabs as decoration. It has a density level of salt of ten percent, comparable to the dead sea. It is equally beneficial if there are micro erosions: when skin comes into contact with water, it starts regenerating, becoming smoother and softer. While letting go and lying down in the pool, the water’s density will support your neck and remove muscle tension.
Lefay is a space conceived for body regeneration beyond physical love. Recommended are Giuseppe’s treatments, able to practice reflexology during a session of massage. Mixing Chinese medicine and western technology constitutes a holistic experience.
Lefay, La Limonaia: a sugarless patisserie
La Limonaia is the restaurant on the ground floor. Breakfast is served in a dedicated room to the bakery and patisserie, where sugar is replaced by xylitol. At the same time, a selection of cheese with Taleggio, a specialty of the place, is at the forefront, as light pink ham. Apple persimmons highlight the presence of seasonal fruits, like mandarins. A corner is dedicated to trail mixes such as Candied ginger, apricot, plums, berries, and nuts.
Lefay, Brescia
Via Angelo Feltrinelli 136, Gargnano Brescia. Leaving is already like returning. In winter, the lake is frequently covered with fog: the Lefay rises just above the level of the blanket-so that arrival and departure are marked by the same screen, or mirror, where the passage looks like a dimensional portal.You will leave accompanied by an olive oil bottle as a concrete reminder of the experience and the persisting image of the gray and green colors of the mountain waterside.
